Phonograph-tone modifier



M. MAL'TZ.

PHONOGRAPH TONE MODIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20, 19m.

. 1 ,339,--104. Patented May 11, 1920.

I! III nmmm UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MEYER MALTZ, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 BERNHARDT M. ARNESEN AND ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM C. UTES, BOTH OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PHQNOGRAPH-TONE MODIFIER.

Specificatibn of Letters Patent, P t t d. May 11 1 Application filed February 20, 1919. Serial No. 278,229.

To all whom it may concern,-

Be it known that I, MEYER MALTZ, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of -Illinois,.have invented'certain new and use and a particular object is to modify the tones so as to make them more mellow and pleasing to the ear.

Of the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is an elevation of the device whichI use in modifying the tone of the instrument, certain portions of the device being, broken away to show the interior thereof- Fig. 2 is another elevation of the same device. Fig.

3 shows the manner of attaching the modify ing device to the ordinary mechanism of the phonograph. Fig. 4 is another.view of the device attached to the said mechanism.

As is well understood, the ordinary mechanism of the phonograph and similar machines comprises a record 5, upon which the sound waves of the speaker or singer have been impressed, a needle 6, which, when the instrument is in operation, passes along the grooves of the record, a needle holder 7 and a bar 8 connecting the holder with the mica sounding disk 9 of the sound reproducer 10, together with the tone arm 11 and other well known members of the instrument. In use the needle is caused to vibrate by passing it along the grooves of the record, and these vibrations are transmitted, by means of the connecting bar 8, to the reproducer of the instrument. It often happens that, in the formation of the grooves themselves, or in the action of the grooves of the records in the needle, abnormal or exaggerated vibrations are produced, and these, imparted to'the reproducer produce loud or unnatural noises or tones, and may also cause abnormal vibrations in the horn. In this and similar ways loud, or scratching, or metallic sounds, or somewhat inharmonious tones are produced. These undesirable sounds I eliminate or reduce, more or less, by fixing a mass to the connecting bar, which by its inertia, dampens somewhat the vibrations of the bar.

I have found, however, that merely adding mass to the transmiting bar 8 does not give the best results and that some yielding, but resilient, substance, such as rubber is more desirable. Further, I find that some kind of a chamber, acting more or less as a sounding chamber, adds to the ,value of the modifier in producing the most desirable results.

In connection with the devices commonly in use, in order to produce the results set forth herein, I use the modifier 12 which comprises a casing 13. This casing may be made of any suitable material, and of any suitable shape. I prefer celluloid for the materiahand of the cylindrical shape indicated in Figs. 1 and 2, the cylinder having closed ends 14,'and having an opening 15 in one side, extending from one cylinder end to the other. In the opening of the cylinder I insert a rubber clamp-like member 16. This member may be made of any suitable shape, but I preferthe tapering lips 17 separated by the slot 18 with the flanges 19 in the inner portion of the casing; the flanges 19 'together with the-exterior flanges 20 holding the member firmly in the opening of the casing. Fixed to the rubber member in an suitable manner is an operating stem 21. I prefer to connect this to the rubber b means of a thread 22 screwed into the rub er and backed by a Washer 23, the washer arran ed 1 to prevent the stem from being forced arther into the rubber. The stem 21 projects from the casing, and has on its outer end a suitable button 24, by means of which the stem may be pressed inwardly so as to open the jaws of the rubber clamp, as indicated in Fig. 3, and thus allow the device to be clamped on to the connecting bar 8 of the instrument. The rubber tends to hold the jaws shut; but this tendency is greatly increased by the pressure on the rubber of the edges of the casing.

\Vhen it is desired to modify the tone of the instrument, or to eliminate the disagree- 1W able sounds which frequently accompany the music when the instrument is in operation, the operator presses on the button 24, thus opening the jaws of the modifier, and the jaws, by releasing the button, are allowed 105 the tones of the instrument. Ordinarily 11.1;

the modifier is clamped, as indicated in Fig. 4, adjacent the reproducer end of the connecting bar, but if a greater effect is desired it may be shifted toward the needle end of the bar. The modifier when arranged as described tends to dampen the vibrations of the transmitting bar 8, which transmits the sound vibrations from the pointed end of the needle to the mica disk; and this in turn tends to diminish somewhat the sound vibrationstransmitted by the instrument, particularly those that are abnormal and undesirable.

It is to be understood that I make no claim to the ordinary members of the phonograph, such as I have illustrated herein, but my invention relates in general to the combination of anymass for dampena ing in any suitable manner the vibrations which are being transmitted from the needle to the reproducer, and specifically to a sounding chamber associated with the mass and to the details of the special form of mass or modifier which are illustrated and to the feature of adjustability which I have described herein.

I claim as my invention:

1. A sound modifier comprising a casing composed of celluloid, said casing being cylindrical in shape with closed ends, and having an opening in one side thereof, a rubber member fixed in said opening, said a rubber mass fixed in said opening, said mass having two portions projecting a ma terial distance outside of said casing, and means for forcing sald two POl'tlOIlSflPiLI't,

whereby the mass may be clamped on-the connecting bar of a sound reproducing instrument. I

3. In a sound reproducing machine atone modifier comprising a casing, said casing having an opening on one side, and clamping means fixed to said opening, said clamping means comprising lips of resilient material, and means for forcing open said lips.

4, In a sound reproducing machine a tone modifier comprising a casing,-- said casing having an opening on one side, and clamping means fixed to said opening, said clamping means comprising lips of resilient material.

In a sound reproducing machine a tone modifier comprising a casing, said casing having an opening on one side, and clamping means fixed in said opening, said casing having a hollow chamber therein.

MEYER MALTZ.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand. 

